grip
1 (grĭp)
[Middle English, from Old English gripe, grasp, gripa, handful.]
noun
- A tight hold; a firm grasp: a drowning swimmer now safely in the grip of a lifeguard.
- The pressure or strength of such a grasp: a wrestler with an unmatched grip.
- A manner of grasping and holding: The crate afforded no comfortable grip.
- Intellectual hold; understanding: a good grip on French history.
- Ability to function properly or well; competence: getting a grip on the new technique.
- Mental or emotional composure: lost his grip after he was fired.
- A mechanical device that grasps and holds.
- A part, such as a handle, that is designed to be grasped and held.
- A suitcase or valise.
- A stagehand who helps in shifting scenery.
- A member of a film production crew who adjusts sets, lighting, and props and sometimes assists the camera operator.
verb: gripped, grip·ping, grips.
transitive verb
- To secure and maintain a tight hold on; seize firmly.
- To hold the interest or attention of: a scene that gripped the entire audience.
intransitive verb
- To maintain a secure grasp.
derivatives
- griṕper
- noun
- griṕping·ly
- adverb
grip
2 (grĭp)
noun
- Variant of grippe
grippe,
also grip
(grĭp)
[French, from Old French, claw, quarrel, from gripper, to seize, grasp, from Frankish* grīpan.]
noun
- See influenza
derivatives
- griṕpy
- adjective
